With recent rains, warmer weather, and longer photoperiods each day the dreaded lawnmower now has to come back into action. This means your spring lawns may be starting to emerge, which is good, but it also means weeds are taking off, which is bad. We often get calls about managing weeds and dealing with fungus and insects that may occur early during the transition stage of the warm season lawn. The only way to resolve any of these problems is to get active once they occur and not let them run their course destroying your lawn.

Q: What is the best thing to spray on my lawn to control weeds?

A: The number one weed control defense is a good healthy grass species in your lawn. Full healthy lawns will help you choke out weeds and allow you to detect problems in their early stages. The first thing you must know before tackling weeds is what kind of grass you have. Some ingredients are great for some yards, yet deadly on others. If weeds in your yard are flowering right now you can probably mow them and eliminate them for the year. Flowering is the last reproductive stage of the plant so once they begin putting up a flower, mowing them once, possibly twice, will likely eliminate them for the season.

This is very important and I will say this every year because I know I will get a call about a dead lawn. All over-the-counter lawn herbicides have an active ingredients, atrazine or 2, 4-D are common ones. Do not use 2, 4-D on St. Augustine lawns as it can injure or kill the lawn. Atrazine is safe on most Mississippi lawns, however if you have a bermudagrass, products with 2, 4-D are suitable and may provide a wider range of broadleaf control. Keep these sprays away from the flower beds and vegetable gardens.

Q: What are the large brown circles in my yard, and how do I stop them from growing?

A: Brown patch or chinch bugs are the common culprits for this call; however it is still a little early for chinch bug activity. Therefore the brown circles of dead grass are likely caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani, commonly known as “brown patch” or “large patch.” This disease is most common in St. Augustine lawns in the spring and fall in south Mississippi.

Brown patch is most damaging during extended wet conditions and in relatively cool temperatures. There are several things you can do to prevent this disease from occurring and to treat it if already present. When watering your lawn, avoid watering late in the evening or at night where grass will remain wet for long periods of time. Be patient when fertilizing, avoid early and excessive nitrogen fertilization, this promotes susceptibility for spreading and additional problems.

The good news is with warmer temperatures in the lower 80s and with lower moisture conditions activity will decrease significantly. A fungicide treatment found at any local garden center is the easiest way to get effective control. Get a garden center associate to help find a fungicide labeled for brown patch and carefully read and follow label directions. When spraying, be sure to spray an additional three to five feet outside of the infected area for prevention and maximum control.

David Carter is the director of the Adams County Extensions Service. He can be reached at 601-445-8201